People are becoming more responsible and aware of their health through maintaining a good exercise program. It is not always convenient for everybody to go for a run or do laps in the local pool at their leisure. People are turning to other efficient exercise programs like home gyms and full body exercise machines in their homes to achieve and maintain good health.
The focus of the present invention is on the type of machine that allows an individual to exercise the whole body using a swimming technique applied and executed through the operation of the machine. The general operational system of these machines uses a resistance mechanism with a support frame built around it. These machines will have a cable running through the resistance mechanism and attached to the hands in the front. It may have sliding resistance hand pads on a rail for catch and release simulating a swim motion. In some cases the cable will be attached to an intermittent pulley, a flywheel for the feet or an independent resistance mechanism for the feet. And attached to the top of frame is the resting pad for the upper torso. Examples of these machines are disclosed in Kennedy U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,363; Rodgers, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,450; Robertson, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,119; and Van De Laarschot et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,163.
All of the previous inventions have been driven by one thing, the “resistance mechanism,” and its delivery function of intensity to create the core of the work-out. This point is reiterated in, Van De Laarschot et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,163 at paragraphs (3)(4)(5) and (6) which gives an excellent example and explanation of the type and scope of previous swim machines that have been patented. The core element of these swim machines have been intensity, amount of resistance, increased amount of time and continuous level of resistance in relation to the swim stroke. According to Van De Laarschot et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,163, serious injury can occur from their use, but the disclosed machine also uses a resistance mechanism.
There is a need for a paradigm shift in the development of the modem day swim exercise machine.